Prep football: Naples High excited to start season against North Miami

David Albers/Staff
- Naples players Jordan Perez, Alex Betancourt and Sammy Lubin, left to right, celebrate a quick stop to a punt return against Hialeah in the first quarter on Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in Naples.

What to watch for: If the Eagles' front seven can break through North Miami's line they should be able to force the Pioneers' inexperienced group of QBs into making mistakes and allow Naples to dictate the game clock with its running game.

After defeating Hialeah 34-7 in last week's preseason game, Naples will once again host a Class 8A-District 13 opponent from across Alligator Alley as the Eagles take on the North Miami Pioneers tonight to start the regular season.

"We can't wait to start the season," Naples coach Bill Kramer said. "We're excited to pack the house and turn Staver Field into what it has been for the last 10 years, which is a great place to play football."

Naples will continue with its tried-and-true formula of mistake-free defense and the relentless running attack of Manny Morgan (99 yards vs. Hialeah) and Max Joseph. After a disappointing 2-8 finish last season, North Miami will be trying to turn the corner under new coach Ed Williams.

"We re just going to take what they give us and stay within the game plan," Kramer said.

The Eagles' defensive front line will get an early test against North Miami's large offensive line. Led by seniors Theodore Griffin and Napoleon Kenly, the Pioneers' offensive line will try to open up running lanes for backs Romane Charles and Offical Coffy in what will be a run-heavy offense. After their tuneup against Hialeah, which also featured a great deal of size up front, Kramer isn't worried about his defense matching up in the trenches.

"They're smaller but they are a little quicker," Kramer said of the Pioneers O-line. "I think we'll see a faster game than last week."

Although North Miami lacks experience at quarterback and will rely on a rotation to fill the position, the Pioneers have an extremely dangerous weapon in 6-foot-3 wide receiver Clerveaux Stanley.

On defense, the Pioneers are led by a pair of lockdown defensive backs — Ryan Joseph and Florida International commit Troy McCollum — who could hinder Eagles quarterback Kilton Anderson's ability to throw deep.

"We'll do what we always do," Kramer said. "We'll try and keep it away from those guys, but Kilton does a good job of reading the coverage and any of our five (receivers) can handle it. You'll see one of those guys step up."